UN real REAL ity
by chatixrawrr
Summary: Based off of Twilight with my own little twist. Read and Review so I know whether to update or not! Chapter Eight is up! Possible discontinuing :
1. Preface

Its like I can't breathe

But my knees don't feel weak

And there you are, looking like my fantasy


	2. Chapter 1

**001**

The apartment was bare except for the boxes and scraps that lay on the floor. It was so different from the place full of life that I had resided in just a few short, memorable months ago. If it weren't for the moving truck that waited for us downstairs, I would have sworn that I had never known this place in my life. The walls were back to their plain, dull white from when we had first come to stay here and the floors held no sign of the colorful rugs that used to be spread around. With a frown that seemed stuck to my face, I bent down and picked up the little bits of newspaper that were used for wrapping by my feet.

"Could you remind me once again why we have to leave?" I turned to my mother who barely growled at the question I had asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

I dug the dirt from under my nails and didn't bother to look up. I knew what her expression would be. Pure annoyance. My mother wasn't one to talk repeatedly on the same subject. She pulled her thick, dark hair into a ponytail and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her brown eyes seemed to have a hint of anger when I glanced up, but nonetheless I ignored it and waited for her response. I was relentless at the moment.

"We have better options in New York." She said as she picked up a box and put it near the door for the movers to get when they came back up.

"_You _have better options in New York. I don't know anyone there." My voice was slightly venomous as I threw a chunk of dirt on to the floor and grimaced.

My mother didn't bother to look at me as she grabbed the box closest to me and moved it into the other corner.

"I'm not in the mood, Natasha. Could we save this argument until we're settled perhaps?"

I grumbled under my breath and ended the potential argument for the time being. Though I wouldn't admit it, I knew my mother was under a lot of pressure. It couldn't be easy raising a single teenage daughter when her father has run off with his secret family in Texas. 'Texas?' I remember thinking to myself when I found out the news not just a year ago. When I thought of Texas I thought of cowboys boots and country accents. Picturing my father like that was both hilarious and devastating. He was choosing them over us. I didn't know them, but I knew that it couldn't get better than my mother and I. We were his everything as he had told us. Lies. It was nothing but lies all along.

Since my father had insisted on being the sole provider in the house, his absence left my mom in a horrible money situation. She had an education, but the last time she worked was an unsolved mystery. I knew it was a dumb decision for her to listen to him. She should have been prepared for the worst, even if no one saw it coming. She was rarely home and though there was no tension in the atmosphere, I could feel her heartbreak as if it were my own. They were high school lovers. The thought made me clench my teeth so hard I thought they would bleed. My mother encouraged me to keep contact with the man who provided the sperm to birth me. I utterly refused. She didn't argue the case.

So why were we moving to New York? The houses were so much pricier there than in our hot spot town of Orlando, Florida. My mom told me that she had a friend that helped us get the apartment, and with all the money she would be making at her job at the hospital, we could be living a better life. I didn't see what was the matter with our life as is. I had friends of the abundance, my social life was at its peak, and I thought I couldn't be happier. Could it? There were too many questions just bottled up in my little cranium.

I looked at my mother standing only but a mere 5 foot 2 inches. She wasn't a tall woman but she wasn't short in my opinion. And she was so kind. I smiled as I absentmindedly grabbed a box and followed her. My head was swimming. I was excited, nervous, and a whole combination of emotions in one. It was too much yet too little. I looked back at the now completely empty apartment and the thought of crying graced my ears. But I learned to waste no time on such goodbyes for departure. I closed the door but didn't bother to lock it this time. No one was going to break in. My mother was already down the stairs in her car waiting for me.

"Why the bloody hell are we driving?" I thought again.

I looked down at the white shorts that matched my tank top with a grateful sigh. I was warned that New York was going to be cold this time of the year but it was irrelevant to me. Being in a cramped car for God knows how long would make me immune to the cold weather. Plus, I was born part penguin.

"Ready to go?" my mom asked as I slid into the car and laid my head back.

I simply nodded and turned the radio up. Closing my eyes.

'Whose girl is that' by Chris Brown was on. It was my favorite get-a-way song.


	3. Chapter 2

**002.**

I woke up in a sudden daze. The drool had soaked through my shirt and my eyes were crusted from an excess amount of sleep. The radio was turned to an oldie station, just what I had expected from my mother. I smiled warily as I looked around and took in my surroundings. I knew we were in New York from the sudden chill that coursed down my body, but it looked like nothing I had ever seen before. There were no large office buildings or any cars honking. The streets were barely pulling their fair share of traffic, and only a few people could be seen passing on foot. I cringed. We had to be in New Jersey. Maybe mom's just resting, I reasoned. I looked to my right and stared in horror. My jaw had dropped but I didn't bother to move it. My mother walked out of a pathetic excuse for an apartment building with a new pair of keys in her hand. All I could do was shake my head, and that is exactly what I did even after she came into the car and tried to explain everything. Her words ran together and made no sense to me. All I made out of it was Oneida, New York. My stomach dropped.

"You lied," I said under my breath.

My mother looked up at me, not so much shocked at my words, but more so of the fact that I was actually talking to her.

"What?"

"This isn't New York. I don't know what the hell this place is, but it's not New York."

Her eyes narrowed.

"It's in New York. Don't be dramatic. You know I don't like the city life."

"Since when is this all about you?" I asked, obviously annoyed.

"It's about both of us, and it's also about compromise." She retorted.

"This isn't compromise. This is pure selfishness. I don't like small towns. Everyone knows each other and I feel like the last kid to be picked for dodge ball even though it's between me and the fat kid and we all know he's prone to spasmodic asthma attacks..."

She looked at me and smiled. I was clearly being overdramatic.

"But seriously mom. It's not my scene."

She reached her hand over and brushed my curly hair from my face.

"You'll like it. The people are so sweet here." She smiled and I simply growled.

'Have an open mind,' was all I could think as we went to park and unpack.

I got out the car and looked around. Building after building was a pale color that looked like the replica of the last. A soft snarl came from my throat and I looked at my mother with pleading eyes. I had told my friends about how I was so excited to live in the big city. They promised to visit so we could go shopping and live the life that we only dreamed of. It seemed now that I would have to keep on dreaming.

"This place looks freaking depressing." I hissed at my mother.

She glared at me and immediately I silenced myself—for the moment. She parked the car and stepped out, I refused to move. A tall, thin woman came from the side of the building and held her arms out towards my mother. I took note of the fact that she was pale and extremely beautiful. I wondered why she would be in this crumby little place instead of on a billboard for an upcoming fashion show. I was too mad to give it enough thought. I turned away and put my head against the cold frame of the car.

"Kate!" I heard the woman scream as she glided her way over.

"Why…why…why?" I cried as the two of them talked.

I heard the soft mutters of the strange woman telling my mother about the shops and stores around. As I expected, the woman seemed to know everyone within a 50-mile radius. It was probably the size of the whole flipping town. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to follow the woman who I had put my trust in to the bland building. I chill went up my spine; it wasn't one of excitement.

Either my mother was an amazing actress, or she really loved this place. She grinned as we walked into our new home and spread her hands out. It was bigger than our last home; I would give it that. My eyes widened as I came into realization. We had gotten a loft. Mother knew had bad I had wanted to live in one since I was ten. I was glad she kept it in mind.

"You like it?" she took advantage of my expression.

I turned and started to walk around, running my hands on the black marble of our kitchen. I wasn't too happy with our living situation at the moment, but this was a somewhat fair compromise.

"You also get the biggest room," my mother added.

I just looked at her. She knew I didn't particularly care for the larger rooms. It just gave me more to clean.

"There's a skylight right above where your bed will be," she continued.

I felt my mouth drop open.

"And you have the big windows you've always dreamt of."

I thought my knees would buckle. It was a dream come true for me—or, part of my dream anyways. She walked over to the door that I assumed would be my new abode and opened it, waiting for me to walk over and examine it. I did as silently commanded and took into notice that all the windows in the front were large. It was like this place was renovated for my purposes, only set in the wrong town. I bit my tongue and told myself I wouldn't spoil the moment. I knew my mother was trying; I just wasn't satisfied. Then again, was I ever? I looked around the empty room, and already I felt in place. If nowhere else, I knew everything would be all right in my own room.

"I love it," I whispered as I walked in and ran my hands along the walls.

It was already painted a light, neon blue. Just like my last bedroom. I couldn't help but smile brighter as I walked over to the large windows that held my blue curtains to match the walls. I stood there for an immeasurable amount of time before I looked up to see if I was lied to. Sure enough, there was my skylight positioned perfectly above where my bed would be in no time at all. I clapped my hands and squealed as I jumped up and and down. My mother smiled and her eyes twinkled in the pale light that broke through my windows. I put my arms around her neck and squeezed her tight.

"I think I can manage a bit," I whispered to her before I went back to the middle of my room and lay down.

She laughed and walked out of my room. I would need a bit of time to myself. A few minutes later, I got up and put my thick curls into a manageable ponytail.

"Ready for work!" I yelled to my mother as I left my paradise behind for the moment.

* * *

I curled up on my floor and groaned. My body was completely sore from hours of situating everything. My mother was already in the bathtub, soaking her pain away. I figured I would do the same soon enough so I could lie down properly and fall asleep. Another groan passed my lips before I got up and walked over to my luxurious bathroom. The walls matched the color of my room, making it homier for me. I found myself smiling once again at my mother's efforts.

The bathroom looked as if it belonged in a mansion. The bathtub was about the size of a large SUV with sliding glass so it could also be used as a shower. I stood and marveled at it for no more than twenty seconds before I went and turned the water on. It was scolding hot and the steam rose. I turned the cold water on so I wouldn't get third degree burn from simply bathing. I stood from bending over the tub after I pulled the stopper up and turned on my heels to go turn my stereo on and prepare my clothes. I felt relaxed by just the idea of relaxing and grew more anxious as I waited for the water to be done.

With a sudden burst of revelation, I opened up my window to let the cool night breeze in. The smells of the small town filled my nose and gave me some hope. I knew I was just in the moment though. I went in my already packed closet and looked for my pajamas. They stared me in the face, along with the rest of my abnormally large collection of blue clothing. Blue was my favorite color. I grabbed the blue shorts with the cookie monster shirt to match and threw them on my bed. My towel and washcloth were already on the rail by the tub--one thing out of the way. I stripped down to the bare necessities and stopped the water. The tub was almost full and warm as I slid my foot in. The baby oil caressed my skin as I rested in the water and became one with it. The radio played _Silver and Gold _by T-Pain and I bobbed my head along to the beat. My eyes closed and I almost fell into my favorite land of unconsciousness.

Not too soon after, an eerie feeling crept through me and my eyes shot back open. I sat up and looked around.

"Hello," I said softly.

A shadow moved too quickly for my brain to register, but I knew it was there. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my body. I was going to call my mother, but if someone was in my room, I didn't want her to be involved. How could they have even gotten in, I pondered. We were in the very top floor and there were no escape ladders on the side by my room. There was positively no way to get in. I looked for some type of weapon; my eyes came upon nothing. I wrapped the towel around me and took one step out.

"Hello," I said a little louder this time.

The shadow moved again and a pair of eyes met mine before they flew out the window. I stood there, petrified and confused. I turned my bedroom light on and ran to the open window, staring out to see if there was any trace of my intruder. The streets were empty. I closed the window quickly and shut my curtains. My sense of security was tampered with.

"MOM!" I screamed and ran to my door.

She walked over, a cup of coffee in her hand. She looked completely at ease.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly as she saw my bewildered eyes.

"Someone… was in my room…" I said softly as I looked out to the kitchen.

From where I guessed she as sitting, she should have seen someone in my room, and I knew that they seen her since the lights were on. I looked to see her gasp and put her hand on my face, truly surprised.

"Are you okay? Did you see who it was…?"

I cut her off. "You didn't notice anyone in my room?"

She looked at me questioningly and shook her head. "I was looking in your room from time to time, but I was mostly reading the paper. I'm so sorry. They didn't hurt you did they?" Her tone took on a more angered edge.

I mouthed the words 'NO' and then turned back into my room. I was a bit uneasy but I was also curious. They just ran out. Who were they? My stomach felt sick and I sat down.

"Do you want me to call the police?"

I scoffed without thinking and shook my head again. "It's okay."

She walked out my room and went to call whomever. I got up and drained the water out of my tub. So much for a relaxing bath, I thought bitterly. I took a makeshift wash up instead and dressed myself quickly. I kept thinking that someone was watching me. I kept my lights on and crept into my bed. I didn't know how long it was, but soon I was fast asleep.

I dreamt of my unexpected visitor. He was standing over my bed, it was dark, and he was brushing my face with his hand.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised me in a smooth voice.

Somehow, I believed him.


	4. Chapter 3

**003.**

The sunlight poured through my open curtains and I turned over to hide under my pillow. I hadn't slept very well last night after my dream. I kept waking up in a sweat only to fall asleep and have it happen all over again. In total, I had slept about 2 hours. The breeze from the window played with my hair and tossed my curls in different directions. The breeze. I shot up to see that my conjecture was correct. My window was open again. I threw the covers off of me and went outside.

"Mom!" I screamed.

She came out of her bedroom with the phone pressed to her ear.

"Yeah honey?"

"Have you been in my room since last night?"

She gave me a puzzled look but shook her head.

I ran back into my bedroom and didn't hear her advancing footsteps. I figured she thought I was in a morning craze, but I wasn't. I hadn't opened my window last night, and I know I didn't sleep walk. I looked at my room. Everything seemed the exact way I had left it. My towel was even in the exact same stance as when I had thrown it over my computer chair. I tried to reason—more like lie—with myself. Maybe I had opened it in the middle of the night but I was too tired to even notice. That made sense. It had happened plenty of times. It was probably a reaction to my dream.

I tried to push the terrifying possibilities to the back of my mind as I went back to my bathroom. I was sure I had locked the window last night. I shook my head as though the thoughts would fall out of my ears. I looked at myself in the mirror and slightly shivered. My usually chocolate brown toned skin had completely lost its color. I needed to relax. Just relax. I looked at my tub and thought of giving it another try. It was bright daylight, if someone was stupid enough to come in my room this time of day I would see them. Still a bit unsettled, I grabbed a knife from the kitchen drawer and put it on the bathroom counter. Just in case, I told myself. I walked out my bathroom and looked through my still open window at the street below. People were walking around, talking amongst themselves as if everything was fine. In their world it was, but I was just a little off and paranoid at the moment. I had to get out of the house.

I decided on exploring the town after a few moments of just zoning out. If I was going to be stuck here I might as well see what this town was made of. I picked out a pair of blue jeans and an old shirt of mine. I wasn't trying to impress anybody here. I prepared my bath water and turned the radio station on. I barely listened as I stripped down and put my clean pajamas on my bed and the rest in the dirty clothes hamper. I poured the baby oil in as the water was about done and put my hair up in a bun seeing as it had fallen out of last night's ponytail.

I slipped into the tub and closed my eyes before my bum had hit the bottom of the tub. My tense muscled loosened, but not too much. If it came down to it, I could be ready to defend myself in a matter of seconds. Considering that I don't fall down in the tub, of course. The music softened as I started to fall asleep. It was like my lullaby, rocking me slowly and pulling me deeper until I was completely gone.

* * *

I groaned and opened my eyes sleepily. I picked up my phone that lay not too far from the tub and looked at the time. 1:30p.m. I had been sleeping for two hours. I looked at my wrinkled fingers and made what would have been a sour face. Quickly, I washed up and tried to get out as quickly as I could.

Before I left, I checked my e-mail. To my disappointment none of my friends had tried to contact me and see how I was. I shrugged. Maybe they were busy doing something else. I hadn't even been gone that long. I would give them more time. My mom was excited to see me get out. I guess she thought I was coming to like it here. I wouldn't have gone that far, but I said I was going to have an open mind, and I wasn't going to go back on my word. Besides, if things took the wrong turn than I would only have till I graduate, and then I could get away and go off to college. It was the perfect alibi.

I grabbed the car keys and yelled goodbye before I jogged down the stairs. My phone fit snuggly in my back pocket, the ringer set to silence. I went out the front door and down the side of the building. There, sitting very patiently for me was my black 2008 Altima. It wasn't the priciest car, but it was my baby, and it got me from point A to point B in enough time. I unlocked the car and then put the keys in my pocket. As I got inside, I ran my hands along the leather. It felt like it had been years instead of a few days since I'd been in my car. I pushed the start button and listened as she roared to life.

"Yeah baby!" I screamed and looked through a compartment for my MP3.

I plugged it into the car and immediately went to my favorite music play list. The first song was 'Yellow' by Coldplay. With that, I pulled out of the alley-like parking place and drove slowly down the street. I wasn't in a rush to be anywhere. I didn't even know where I was going to go. My phone vibrated. Guess I hadn't put it on silence like I thought I had. I pulled it from my back pocket when I stopped at the red light and read the text.

**Can you get some groceries? :)- Mom.**

I shrugged and put my phone in the cup holder. I guess I knew what I would be looking for now. I looked at the sides of the road for what should be a supermarket of some sort. It wasn't too bright outside, sort of gloomy like when we had first come here. I wondered if the weather would always be like this. Always so depressing. To my right I saw a small place that had a little sign in front saying _Food Market. _My eyes squinted as I tried to make out some of the words. How did these people expect to have good business if no one knew where they were? As I pulled in I was slightly surprised. The place was half full, much more than I would have expected.

I pulled into the space closest to the store. I didn't feel like walking a long way with everything that I would have to bring with me. It seemed like a nice place. Not run down, very tidy. There wasn't a piece of litter on the floor. And I wasn't even in the store yet. These people must be neat Nazi's, I said to myself. I pulled my MP3 and earphones from my back pocket and turned my music on, putting my earphones in and getting ready to zone out. I was in another world with music. It was a world of my own, one that I loved. With the Shin's _Sleeping Lessons _humming in my ear, I walked into the store and grabbed a cart.

A young couple looked at me, perplexed. They hadn't seen me before and obviously wondered whom I was, where I came from. So typical of a small town, I thought bitterly. Nonetheless, I put a smile on and pushed the cart to the closest aisle. Bread. I wanted to get white bread, but knowing my mother and her health freak ways she would want the wheat bread. I grabbed about three loaves—we ate bread like it was going out of style—and mouthed the words to the song. An old woman peeked her head around the corner and, seeing that I was also watching her, immediately pulled it back. Was I some type of freak show? I gritted my teeth together and went about my business. They were probably just curious I assured myself.

All through the time, person after person came to look at me. I tried my best to ignore them, but by the time I was up at the counter, I was fed up. I bit my tongue and tasted the blood as the cashier kept stealing glances at me. I felt like an unknown species. The only thing that soothed me was the sound of Lupe Fiasco singing Paris, Tokyo. I carted my goods out of the store and didn't look back though I could feel the multiple pairs of eyes on my back.

"They're just curious city folk," I sweet, deep voice said teasingly from behind me.

I jumped and looked back at a tall, built boy standing against the front of the store by the door. He had a NY cap on with a black hoodie over it. He looked up at me and winked. His eyes flashed red and then went back to a dark color that I could not decipher from the shadow his cap made over his eyes. In the second it took me to blink, he was gone.

"What," I said to the spot where he had just stood.

I was still dazed as I put the groceries into the trunk of my car and got back in. I hadn't even noticed the changing of songs as I drove back home. It was hard to think I was dreaming. The feel of my car soaring over the road was hard to imagine, but that's all I could come up with. I didn't know how to explain it. I didn't even know what I was trying to explain. It just seemed so odd to me. One minute he was there, and the next he was gone. I didn't want to think about it; I was determined not to. When I pulled back into my parking spot by the apartment building, I saw my mother's friend sitting on the front step. When my car pulled in, she smiled at me and waved. I waved back even though I was sure she didn't see me. I had my windows illegally tinted for my liking. The privacy gave me a weird sense of power.

I stepped out and popped the trunk open. In a matter of seconds, she was by my side, grabbing a few bags in her hand.

"Your Kate's daughter, right?" she asked me.

I nodded.

"Well hello, my name is Jasmin. I'm your mother's friend. I live on the second floor." She held out her hand with the nicest smile on her face.

"Hi, I'm Natasha." I couldn't help but smile back as I shook the hand that she had extended towards me.

"Your mother's told me so much about you. You wouldn't believe what it takes to shut her up when it comes to her precious Natasha." Her laugh sounded like the sweetest song my ears had heard.

"Oh, yeah… that's my mom." I cringed inwardly as I spoke the words.

Something about my mother talking so proudly of me made me feel like regurgitating everything I'd eaten. I hadn't been the best daughter in all of my years. I vaguely recalled the times that I tried to forget. When I told her that it was her fault that my father had left. The words I had said to her… I felt like the lowest form of flab this universe had ever known. I frowned and grabbed more bags, walking up the stairs. Jasmin followed, keeping pace with me even though she held more bags than I had bothered to grab. I unlocked the door and immediately set my bags on the counter. My arms were stinging softly. With such unimaginable grace, she set the bags down lightly, not even making a sound. My mom came out of her room and looked at the groceries.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were here?" she asked as she opened each bag and started to put everything away.

"It's okay. Miss Jasmin helped me." I looked back at her and smiled kindly.

She returned the smile and then looked at my mother.

"I just thought I would help since I was already outside. I had meant to check up on you later today anyways."

I walked back down the stairs to grab the remainder of the bags and lock up my car. By the time I came back upstairs, the two women were sitting around talking. The counters were clear. I set my bags down and half listened to the conversation.

"…We just had a little trouble last night. Someone came in through Natasha's window."

I looked back to see the worried, angry expression on Jasmin's face.

"Did they hurt her?" she asked my mother who shook her head.

"No, she said they just left. Odd…"

Jasmin's face became angrier. When she saw that I was looking she calmed her expression. I got the strangest feeling that she knew what was going on. I had to be being paranoid. This whole thing made me paranoid. But the thought of someone so easily coming and going from my room was slightly disturbing. I hadn't even told my mother about this morning.

"Well, just keep your window locked for awhile," Jasmin suggested.

I scoffed. "Like that's going to help," I thought.

"She will." My mom smiled warmly at me and then returned to their conversation. I assumed they had changed the topic from the laughter that rang through our loft.

When I had finished putting the rest of the things away, I went in my bedroom and closed the door. I set my things on the computer desk and swirled the mouse to wake it up. I clicked on my e-mail and also opened up the Internet. I had two new e-mails, both of which were irrelevant and I erased. My last hope was my Myspace. I know, it was sort of silly for me to put my hopes into a simple website, but it was the last thing I could depend on to keep me in touch with my friends, to make me believe that nothing had so abruptly changed due to my absence. I signed in and crossed my fingers that I would have something. I smiled; full house.


	5. Chapter 4

**004**

I didn't sleep too well that night. When I had checked my Myspace I was ecstatic to hear from my friends. Sadly, not one thing was from them. I frowned at the thought and lay on my stomach. I looked at the window for what seemed like the millionth time. It was locked and shut. I even put a wooden bar on it so it wouldn't be able to move. I felt safer but unsure at the same time. I dug my head into the pillow and screamed. My mind was running over too many things. I was beginning to wonder if I truly was going insane. My eyes shut and I tried to drift off to sleep. It seemed to work because within minutes, I was dreaming again.

I was sitting in the middle of train tracks. They seemed to be abandoned. The metal was rusted with vines and all sorts of plants growing from between its cracks. I heard a train coming towards me though. I didn't move. I just sat there. My brain was screaming for me to move and I felt so scared. I knew I was going to die, but I couldn't seem to make a single muscle in my body move me out of the way. Thankfully, I didn't get to find out how the dream ended. I woke up with sweat pouring down my back. I glanced to see that even my sheets were wet. I plopped back down on my bed and growled. A soothing breeze blew over my body and made me suddenly chilly. With a bit of annoyance, I looked over. My window was open again. I covered my face and hoped that I would somehow suffocate. My brain had no time to process the meaning of this, and I was sure I didn't want to. Whatever or whoever was continuously coming in my room could obviously not be stopped by the wooden bar--which now lay in shattered pieces in a neat pile by the farthest corner from my bed. The broom was even put in front of the pile. Did they know the layout of my house?

I stayed up until the sun shone into my room and brightened every nook and cranny. I grumbled incoherently as I went into my bathroom. I was afraid to look at my face. I knew I would look repulsing. I looked anyways. Once again, I was right. Why did I always have to be right? I had dark bags under my eyes and they seemed to sag. I looked so old, so stressed. I was. Well, the stressed part anyways. I swept up the shattered pieces of wood, making sure not to stick myself and get a splinter, and threw them in the garbage. My mother walked in with a smile on her face and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh…we have to go to the school today," she told me in her 'I don't even want to ask' tone.

I just nodded and dragged my feet back to the bathroom.

My mind was somewhere else as I routinely got myself ready. I didn't even bother to look at the clothes I picked out. I grabbed a bagel out the door and a glass of orange juice. I wished that I had an energy drink to pick me up. My mother practically flew over the stairs. She was so excited about this new life we were starting. I envied her with a passion that she could not even begin to understand. I slumped into the car and put my head back. My mother talked as I drifted off into sleep. I was so tired I couldn't even pretend to listen her. The next thing I knew she was shaking me awake as we sat parked in front of the school.

"We're here," she said with a smile still.

I simply glared and downed my orange juice, climbing out of the car with every ounce of energy I had. By the time I got to the office my mother was waiting outside with a stack of papers in her hand. I hadn't even noticed before, but other students were here also. There was a huge sign in the front of the building reading 'OPEN HOUSE'. I shrugged and walked past a pair of little kids chasing each other around. The paperwork was mostly filled out from my previous school, but there were still some spots we had to fill in. While I finished them off, my mother chatted away. I wondered if she knew that I was only half aware of my surroundings.

"You get to meet your teachers," she said as she went on with her thrilled rambling.

I nodded and stood up, handing her the papers. I wanted to get this over with as fast as I could. I contemplated if I could get some sleep in before it was dark. I followed her lead as she looked for what would soon be my first period. Frankly, I couldn't care. I didn't tell her that though. She was getting an odd joy out of this, and I refused to be the one to ruin it. I had room 407 for Physics. I had no clue what my teacher's name was. I wouldn't remember it at the end of the year so why try and pretend now? We went through each class the same way. My mother did most of the talking while I just nodded my head and smiled. Sometimes I would fall asleep, but not for long. I would always make it in at the right times. All I said was hello and goodbye.

As we walked out of my last class I almost ran to the car. My mother had stopped to talk to some other parents, but I was on a mission. I could probably catch a few Z's while she played the part of the friendly neighbor.

"You again," a familiar voice said from behind me.

I twirled around with half open eyes and looked at the boy. He was under the shadow of the building standing in the same position as when I had seen him before. He wore a black NY cap and a dark blue jacket with the hood up, blue denim jeans—not too baggy, not too tight—and some type of black shirt with a golden blue design underneath. His shoes had a variety of blues on them. From the brightest of them all to the darkest you could find before it was classified as black. I had to give it to him; he had style. I smiled and tried to see past the shadows to his face. As if he knew what I was looking for, he put his hood down and smiled sweetly at me. I thought my tongue had dropped down my throat. He had the most beautifully shaded skin. It was an olive brown with not one mark of acne to ruin his complexion. His teeth were a remarkable white that stood out from his skin, but also fit like the last piece to the puzzle. I had to hold back the urge to reach my hand out and touch him. He looked…amazing. Actually, there were no words to describe the way he looked. I knew I had to be drooling and immediately I shut my mouth. I cursed my horrible habits silently. He seemed to know what I was thinking as he smiled, but his face gave nothing away. His eyes were as blank as a sheet of crisp computer paper but as deep as an ocean at the same time.

"Who are you?" I said so softly I could barely hear myself.

He seemed to have heard me just fine. "You don't want to know, but you'll find out soon enough," he said with a mysterious edge to his voice.

"I… I meant your name," I said giggling.

He smiled. "Chris."

"As in Christopher?" I asked stupidly. I regretted asking at once.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, just Chris."

A horn honked and I turned around, infuriated. He also looked and nodded his head, walking towards the noise.

"Look like my ride's here," he explained as he walked past me.

I bent my head and nodded, not wanting to look at him. I was afraid the emotions that displayed themselves on my face would betray me. I was disappointed.

"Talk to you tomorrow Natasha," he said as he jumped in the car.

I smiled and nodded at his promise. As he drove away I looked at the boy in the front of the car. He seemed furious as he sped off. His hands flew in the air and I cringed away. I would probably ask what it was about tomorrow. Or maybe not… sometimes it was better not to pry into one's personal life. I smiled and watched my mother walk over to me. She seemed oblivious to the short conversation that had just taken place.

"Ready to go?" she asked as she walked to the car. It was a rhetorical question I assumed.

I followed her and looked at the road the black, sleek car had just zoomed down. My mouth twitched and a sudden question came to me. How did he know my name? I opened my car door and jumped in, wanting to get home immediately and prepare my things for tomorrow. I hadn't even noticed before that the next day was Monday. Now, it made all the difference to me. Tomorrow he would be there, and tomorrow would hold new promises for me. I literally could not wait. I smiled the whole way home and the sleepiness that had clouded my thoughts before was now of the past. I needed to pick out my outfit, to tell somebody about it. But whom would I tell?

It didn't matter. I was only focusing on tomorrow. The rest could wait until a later time. Maybe once I was back from school, or a few minutes before school. I shuttered. I hated getting the new school jitters.

* * *

My alarm clock rang at six in the morning. I turned over and pressed the snooze button. My mom's lasagna still sat on my stomach, making me a bit queasy as I got up and dangled my feet over the edge of my bed. To my shocked dismay, my window was still locked and closed as I had put it last night. I slightly frowned but went about doing what I had to be prepared for today. Usually it took me about an hour in the bathroom, but today it was bound to take me even longer. I brushed my teeth longer than usual, trying to make sure that they were pearly white; I showered longer, trying to make sure that I smelt one hundred percent fresh; I even cleaned my ears though I had just cleaned them the day before. I wanted to be spotless; I didn't want one thing to be the matter with me for my first day of school; for my third day of seeing him. I had no idea why I was freaking out this much over one boy, but I was. I hadn't even put this much work into my last boyfriend to whom I swore I was in love with for the rest of my life.

After I had applied my lip-gloss and was sure that my lips were as perfect as the rest of me seemed to be, I went downstairs to my car. My Jansport book bag was already strapped to my back, and I was ready to go. I had a bagel and a bottle of Sunny D in one hand and my MP3 in the other. My cell phone was already tucked away. I made sure this time that the volume was properly set. I put my food and drink in the cup holder and plugged my fully charged musical device back into its respected position. _Don't Be Shy _by Shwayze was my morning pick-up song for the day. I bobbed my head as I chewed a chunk of my breakfast and washed it down with good old O.J.

There still weren't many cars on the street but the school parking lot was full. I circled repeatedly before I finally found a spot to squeeze into. It seemed like everyone in the school owned a car. I unplugged my MP3 and slid it into an empty pocket. I finished my breakfast and threw it into the trash as I walked into the dark school. The building was already pale, and the dreary morning sky didn't help it much. It had a creepy feeling to it almost. Students stood around talking, laughing, and having a fun time. I slinked into a corner. It was too early in the morning to be that happy. Sure, I was anxious, but I wasn't pepped up. I still hadn't found an energy drink in this damned place.

A hand tapped me on my shoulder and my head slowly rose from the table. A young girl's face greeted mine. She was smiling brightly with her hair in a long ponytail. I wanted to punch the smile right off her face. Instead, I tried to smile back the best I could and be friendly.

"Hi," she practically screamed at me as she extended her hand.

I shook it reluctantly. "Hi," I said.

I suddenly wished I had pretended I was asleep.

"My name's Amy. You're new here right?"

I nodded and yawned, trying not to make it noticeable.

She didn't seem to notice. "I knew it. You didn't look too familiar. Well, welcome to Oh-knee High."

She giggled at what I supposed was their nickname for the school. I simply nodded once and thought of putting my head back down. She would catch on and leave me alone soon enough, but that would be rude. I was trying to make friends after all wasn't I?

"What's your schedule?" she asked as she held her hand out.

I raised an eyebrow questioningly as I reached into my back pocket and handed it over. She looked at it briefly before squealing in delight.

"We have first and lunch together. I'm sure some of my friends have some more classes with you."

She waved over the girls she had been standing with and they passed around the schedule. I guessed it was going to be a toss-the-new-girl-around type of day. I tried to smile, but it became harder as they all screamed and talked about which classes they had with me. I appreciated their efforts, but it was honestly not the time of day. I should have told them to talk to me after lunch. That way we all would be on the same wavelength. A few boys came over and looked at my schedule, too. They weren't bad looking. Some were actually pretty cute. Even so, none compared to Chris. I wanted to slap myself for thinking that though I knew I couldn't help it. I had classes with a few of them, and those who I didn't walked away with noticeable disapproval. I even heard a few saying they would ask for a change. I was embarrassed yet delighted. For a second, I imagined my thoughts slipping away from Chris. They never did.

I looked past the crowd that had gathered to look for him. There was always someone in my way, and I hardly got a glance at the parking lot. When I did though, I didn't see the familiar car that he had gotten into the day before. My heart sank but I tried to keep up my happy façade. I would have to see him sometime in the day. I had heard there was only one lunch. The bell rang and everyone dispersed to go to his or her respectable classes. I sluggishly got up and dragged my feet to class. Though all the excitement had brought up my mood somewhat, it didn't help me all that much.

Each class passed in a blur. We simply introduced ourselves and waited as the teacher gave a speech and passed out syllabuses. I fell asleep in my first period class as the teacher droned on about his life in the military and his love for science that he promised we would share with him before the year was out. I wanted to laugh. I highly doubted he would be the teacher to change my perspective on science. My whole life I had hated it and thought it was useless. It could partly have to do with the fact that I didn't understand it, but it also had to do with the fact that it simply didn't appeal to me.

Besides that class, every other speech was the same. They talked about the requirements for this year, about how it was needed for us to graduate. The words seemed to spill together by fourth period. I began to daydream. I didn't bother to pay attention anymore. I knew the gist of what they were saying and found no need to put the 5 of my brain that was working to their petty words. The other 95 of my brain was not exactly non-functioning; it was just focused on the fact that I hadn't seen Chris all day. I had searched the halls for him and looked around each classroom for his face. A few times I would catch site of something that looked like a cap, but I was always let down.

By the time we got to lunch I was barely operating. My stomach was churning and I felt like I was going to throw up whatever I tried to put in it. Amy looked at me as though I had just escaped the mental institution while I scoped out the cafeteria for him.

"Are you looking for someone?" she finally asked me.

I could barely hear from the voices at our crowded lunch table. I noticed that it wasn't only her that was staring at me. Other students looked at me the same way she had.

I nodded and kept looking for him. "Yeah, this guy named Chris. Do you know him?"

She laughed and looked at me like I was even more crazed. "Chris Davis?" she asked as though she couldn't believe the words that had come out of my mouth.

I shrugged. "I don't know his last name."

"Unbelievably gorgeous?" the girl that sat across from me asked. She bit her apple and looked at us innocently from under her eyelashes.

I nodded and looked at her skeptically. I wondered if all the girls in the school knew about him. It wouldn't surprise me, but I was still curious.

Amy turned her glare back to me. Yes, it was a glare. She looked slightly irritated as she spoke.

"Forget him." She hissed at me and then went back to her lunch.

I looked at her but thought not to press the issue until a later time when her mood was back to the way it was earlier in the morning.

"Weirdo," I murmured under my breath.

The girl across from me seemed to catch what I said and laughed softly. I looked at her and smiled.

I didn't see him the whole day. It officially ruined my first day.


	6. Chapter 5

**005**

The rest of my day was a blur. It went by too slow and I didn't care to pay attention to a single detail. I was like a zombie as I prepared myself for bed. I didn't know why his absence had gotten me down, but it did. It had managed to effect my whole day—probably my whole year. I moaned and lay under my covers, staring through the skylight to the stars that twinkled so majestically. I was strangely envious of them. So bright while I sat here looking like a dull excuse of flesh. I laughed at how stupid I must have sounded and rolled on to my side to pick up my MP3 as it sat charging on my nightstand. I turned it on and hit the play all button while it was on shuffle. _Lost _by Gorilla Zoe ft. Lil Wayne played in my ears. It described my mood. I was lost and my mind was cluttered with topic after topic. Who was the person coming in and out of my room? Why were they? Why didn't they ever hurt me? How did they get in? Why was I not scared? Why was I oddly at ease? That wasn't normal. Why did I want to see Chris so badly? Why did this place not have any Monster drinks? I clenched my teeth and screamed until I was out of breath. I put the song on repeat and let it sing me to sleep.

_Ring! Ring, _went my little demonic alarm system. I so badly wanted to throw it up against the floor as the voice came on telling me to wake up. I held the words that felt like fire on my tongue and got up. I would speak to mom about replacing my alarm clock for another one. I was finished in a record time. I went into the kitchen with my bag in its respected place and grabbed a banana and an apple juice box. I screamed goodbye to my still sleeping mother and headed out the door. Before going to school, I wanted to see if there was another store. One that would hold drinks the rest of the world knew of. I drove around for about thirty minutes before finally giving up. If I wanted my morning supplement of unnatural energy I would probably have to go out of town. I didn't have the time today. I had to get to school so I could find a parking space and head to class.

Once again, almost every space was taken. Luckily, I found one at the end of the lot and decided to take it. It was right under a tree, which meant that I wouldn't have to worry about my leather seats being too hot when I came back. It was dark still so I knew I wouldn't have to worry about that until much later in the day. I walked into the school with my earphones in to drown out the voices of all the other people congregated at the front. I looked around to see if I could spot Amy. I didn't feel like talking to her this morning. Her stunt at lunch gave me an odd feeling about her. Before I set foot on the concrete, she was already there grabbing at my arm. I growled but played nice. She was talking animatedly about something I knew I wouldn't care about in the long run.

"Good morning to you too," I muttered and followed behind her.

There were a group of kids that sat with us at lunch now sitting around a picnic table. A few sat on top of the table because there was no space on the benches. But of course, there was a space just big enough to fit my body waiting eagerly for me. I groaned but kept my smile in place. A boy with light brown hair cut in a shag style scooted over and beamed his smile at me. His teeth weren't as white as Chris's I noticed.

"Morning," he said as I sat down and nodded at him.

Everyone around me talked. I partially listened but mostly focused on the lyrics of my music. Like I had said before, it was too early in the morning to be so happy. The guy with the shagged hair, whom I assumed went by the name of Nick, turned to me.

"So how do like it here so far?"

I took out one of my earphones and turned to him.

"It's pretty cool. The people are really nice."

I looked at his eyes and couldn't help but notice they were a beautiful hazel. He was a cutie pie. He smiled again and nodded his head understandingly.

"Some of the people are nice," his smile was jokingly evil.

"Well, I haven't met any of the bad ones yet."

"Yet," he said with an odd glint in his eyes.

The bell rang and I immediately got up. He was slightly faster than me, one of his feet were already out. We walked to my first period before he winked at me and walked off. I watched him walk away and then went inside the classroom. Not too anxious to start another day. The thought of waiting to see Chris made my stomach jump anxiously. I was always so anxious when it came to him.

The second day of school was about the same as the first. The teachers talked, some gave out more papers, and then the bell rang to dismiss us to the next dungeon chamber. I walked with a few people that I had met through Amy in the hallways. They were nice; especially the girl that had sat across from me in lunch the other day. Her name was Marie. It made me think of someone who lived on a Prairie. Instead, she had moved from Los Angeles. Her father got his work switched here and her whole family came along. Her whole family consisted of herself, her mother, her father, and her younger brother. We had the same fourth and fifth period so we walked together. Fifth hour we had Literature—my best subject. Thankfully, we didn't have assigned seats, so we got to sit where we wanted to. I sat in the very back, second row from the door. I didn't like being in front and center. It may have made me look like a slacker, but it made me feel uncomfortable at the thought of someone staring at my back. As the classroom poured in, I wrote down lyrics in my notebook. I was prepared to block out the teacher at a moment's notice. As I was writing down a part of a song sung by Frou Frou, I felt somebody standing over me. I knew it wasn't the teacher. Her frame was too small and wouldn't have felt the same. I ignored them, thinking they were waiting for one of their friends.

"Frou Frou, I love them," he said as he twisted my binder towards him so he could read better.

I looked up at him ad found myself gasping for air. Instead of his regular cap, he showed his low-cut shaved head with the sideburns neatly done. He was wearing a tight, black tee shirt that showed off his perfectly proportioned body. I wanted to reach out and touch his abs. My mouth watered as words failed to come to me. I just nodded and let my eyes wander. He smiled down at me and placed his things on the desk beside me. I smiled. I didn't know why, but I smiled. He was there. That was reason enough to smile for me. He laughed and smiled back and then opened his notebook to a blank page. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. I wanted to say something but I didn't know what to would come out. I couldn't trust myself at times like these. Marie tapped me, saving me from possible embarrassment as her eyes widened.

"You know him?" she whispered.

I looked at him to see that his ear twitched as though he was paying close attention to our words. I turned back to her and shrugged.

"Kind of."

She screamed softly and winked me as she nodded her head in his direction. I shook mine and laughed, putting my head down on my desk. A minute hadn't passed before he coughed to get my attention. At least I thought it was to get my attention. When I saw him staring at me I knew that I was correct.

"Could you tell me what I missed yesterday?" he asked as he held the pen to his paper.

He had already elegantly written Literature at the top of his page. I thought over what had happened and shook my head.

"She just talked and gave us a handout."

He wrote it down and I looked at him peculiarly. I didn't see a reason to write down something so simple.

"That it?" he asked, almost impatiently.

I shook my head again and looked at his body language. He didn't look to be at ease. It looked like it was taking every ounce of strength he had to stay in his seat. He was biting his teeth together and suddenly he wouldn't look in my direction. The abrupt change had me confused and self-conscious. I borrowed a mirror from Marie—I saw no need to carry one since I didn't wear makeup—and smelled myself. When I was sure that I smelled of honey and chocolate and that my face was clear, I looked back at him. He was writing something on his paper so fast I could hardly see his hand moving. He looked up at me quickly and his eyes flickered red as the first day I had seen him at the store. So my eyes weren't playing tricks with me? He shut his notebook and paid full attention to the teacher. I hadn't even noticed she was talking. I put my head down and tried not to look at him as I wrote down more lyrics. I constantly felt his eyes on me but when I tried to return the gaze he would always be looking forward as if he hadn't moved. When the bell rang I got up as quickly as I could and went to lunch. Marie was on my heels.

"What happened with you and Chris?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and walked even faster. I wondered if he was still sitting in his seat. When we got to the lunchroom I set my things down and buried my head in the arms of my jacket. I wanted to cry. I wanted to go up to him and scream all sorts of profanities. Instead, I took my MP3 out and listened to whatever song came on. I didn't even hear the words. I was partly asleep but still aware. I heard Amy sit next to me and ask Marie what was up with me. Marie didn't tell her anything. She just said that I didn't sleep enough in class. She knew as well as I did the probable reaction Amy would have if she told her that I had actually talked to Chris. Her reaction towards him had my mind wandering in all sorts of places. Did they have something? The thought of the two of them together was utterly repulsive. I knew opposites attracted, but that sort of attraction was bizarre. It was like Adonis with Rosie O' Donald.

"Why is Chris staring over here?" Amy asked with agitation and admiration.

I looked up immediately to see him openly staring at me. He was sitting with, whom I could only assume was, his family. They all had similar complexions though some were lighter than him. He continued to stare at me before the girl sitting next to him jabbed him rather hard in the side and then looked back at the table. I looked at her and then back at him. He head was down. I looked over to see Amy glaring at me, waiting for an explanation. I shrugged.

"No clue, he must have been staring off into space." I said as I put my head back down.

She grumbled something and then went back to eating.

"He can't be staring off into space," she hissed a few minutes later.

I looked up again, this time more carefully, to see him looking dead at me. I was confused. He treated me like the scum of the earth just last period, and now he couldn't keep his eyes off of me. I narrowed my eyes at him. He smiled. I growled. His smile widened. Amy shot me a look that would have killed a small country but my eyes did not falter from his. He looked at Amy and then at me before turning to the girl who sat beside him. She mouthed something that I couldn't make out, but her eyes looked worried. He shook his head and then looked out the window. She looked at me and shook her head. Her expression looked as though I was about to jump off a cliff and she was begging me not to. I turned away and looked down the table.

I couldn't keep my eyes off the clock. I wanted to go to my last period and just be done with school all together. Nick came and sat next to me. He smiled and I found a way to smile back through my dazed confusion.

"So how is the second day coming along for you?" he asked.

I shot a look at Chris and then looked at him.

"Could be a little bit less confusing."

He nodded and then looked at Chris also. He must have known I was looking at him. I was so obvious.

"It only gets better. You just have to choose the right company."

He looked around the table warily and then focused his eyes on me. I only smiled and then looked at the clock on the far wall. With such suddenness I had no time to react, he reached his hand out and brushed his fingers against my face.

"You have beautiful eyes."

I scoffed. "They're brown."

He smiled. "A very beautiful brown. You could get lost in them."

I smiled and bent my head, embarrassed. A low growl came from across the cafeteria. Only Nick and I looked at Chris who was now staring at us, his teeth bared.

"Seems someone has a problem with our innocent touching," he said mockingly.

I half-smiled but pulled back from his hand. He dropped it but kept his eyes on Chris. The girl next to him nudged him but he didn't look at her this time. He looked like he was going to lunge across the space between us and rip Nick's throat off. Nick simply laughed. The bell rang and I got up. I wanted to be as far away from the confrontation as possible. If any blood was lost, I didn't want it to be on my hands. Nick was right behind me, putting his hand on the small of my back as we walked out. It felt odd having him touch me, but I didn't say anything. We walked to my last class, photography, silently. At the door, he bowed like a gentleman and walked off. I watched him walk to his class like I had the last before I entered my own. I sat in the back corner and listened to my music until the bell rang. Since I knew no one in the class, I had no reason to pay attention. I closed my eyes until the end of the class period, until the bell rang and signaled my freedom from one mystery to the next.


	7. Chapter 6

**006**

I lay on my stomach with my earphones glued to my ears and my shoulders hunched over my notebook. The cold floor was relaxing as I let my mind wander and the pen soared and scribbled down words that seemed to come naturally. I seemed to be somewhere else as I wrote down how I felt, what I thought; whatever I thought. My mother didn't bother me. She knew I needed my space and she respected it. I smiled as another Lil Wayne song came on and I bobbed my head. I didn't stop until I had written about 15 notebook pages worth of material and my hands felt like I had Carpal Tunnel. I smiled as I swiftly reviewed my work and went over to my phone. Surprisingly, I had three missed text messages. They were from old friends and I quickly replied before I threw it back down on the nightstand and walked outside to the kitchen. I was hungry and not in the mood to have long conversations.

A note on the fridge let me know that my mom was off to work again. She was always tired when she got home, and I was always engulfed in my own problems, so we hardly talked anymore. It was sort of depressing, but she seemed to love her new job. I opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and sat in front of the T.V. My mind wasn't really on what I was watching. It was always some place else. My mysterious visitor hadn't been in my room for the past two weeks, and Chris was still acting funny. He wouldn't talk to me in class but he wouldn't stop staring at me at lunch. The girl who sat next to him, I found out that she's his sister, continuously looked at me with pleading eyes. It seemed that since the first day I came here, I was constantly being confused. Amy was unsettled by Chris' stares. She didn't try to hide her annoyance with me. Nick. Nick was… interesting. He seemed to be getting closer to me with each passing day. He wasn't afraid to touch me in the way that most boys would assume I find offense. Especially since we barely knew each other. Normally, I would. With him it seemed I was comfortable though something was always a tad bit off. I ignored it though. With so much on my mind I was trying to narrow down the things I had to focus on. School was obviously not on the list though my grades were still in top shape.

I don't know when, but I fell asleep in the process of 'watching' television. I hadn't been sleeping in the past weeks. I stayed up into a few hours before school to see if my visitor would come again. He, or she, never did. I kept my hopes up still. I wanted to know who they were. What their purpose was for intruding on me? I had an ocean of questions splashing around. It was an abundance to think of but I was curious and I wouldn't stop my quest until I was satisfied. As was becoming normal, I had a dreamless sleep. I woke up with the T.V. on low and sleep in my eyes. I groaned as I rolled on to my back. I wondered how I looked with my body sprawled about the couch like a bum. Instinctively, I looked at the window. It was open. I smiled and stood up, walking towards it. The clock on the cable box read 12 a.m. My mother wouldn't be home for several hours.

"Hello," a said a little too loudly. I clasped my hand over my mouth and tried to level my voice.

"Hello," I repeated. A little softer this time though.

A growl came from some dark corner of the house and a shadow swiftly moved from one side to the next. I looked around, surprised.

"Hello," I said again. I was getting excited. "Who are you?"

There was another growl. I wasn't frightened. I stood my ground.

"Well, you are in my house. I have a right to know who you are."

It growled louder, shaking the ground beneath me.

"I was just saying." I whispered.

There was silence.

"Are you here to hurt me?"

It tapped something I would guess to be its foot, once.

"Does that mean no?"

It tapped its foot twice. I was baffled.

"Okay. One tap means no. Two taps means yes. Are you here to hurt me?"

It tapped its foot once. I nodded.

"Are you here to watch me?"

It tapped its foot twice. I nodded again.

"Who sent you?"

There was silence.

"Can you speak?"

It growled.

"Okay…" I grumbled. "Who are you?"

I heard the shifting of weight but nothing else. I sat back down on the couch and flipped through the channels.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Want to watch a certain show?"

Silence.

I sighed. "Well, I think you know where the fridge is by now if you need anything."

There was a marathon of Spongebob playing on Nickelodeon that I decided to stop and watch. There was a strange laughter from behind me but I tried to ignore it. I was at ease with whomever, or whatever, standing guard at my house. I didn't see any reason to, but it pieced together the security I thought I no longer knew. I heard someone rummage through the fridge and smiled smugly, keeping my eyes on the television set.

"Where you the one that was in my room the first night?" I asked when the show was on commercial.

There was a fierce, disgusted growl behind me.

"You're very testy," I muttered. "But I take that as a no."

My guardian ate noisily behind me. I heard the crunching of bones and the smell of last night's cold chicken along with what seemed like half the contents that we had left.

"You could have at least heated it up."

There was a snort. I put a reminder in the back of my head that I would need to take a trip back to the store. The conversation ended at that. I wanted to ask so many questions but I found it best if I didn't. He or she didn't seem to be that nice of a guest. I fell asleep again, not worrying or thinking about anything. I dreamt. None of them stood out, but it was different from how I was before. I was comfortable in my own home. I knew nothing about whoever was watching me, but I trusted them.

When I woke up, they were gone. I wondered how long they watched me each day. I shrugged the thought to the back of my mind as I used the little energy I had to get to the bathroom. It was Saturday and by the smells and noises of last night, I could only assume that we had no more food. I would look in the fridge later on to confirm or deny my assumption. The light seemed too bright. I squinted my eyes and turned on the cold sink water. One splash and my senses were sharp. I turned on the shower water. I hadn't used the tub in a long while. I slid the glass barrier shut and walked over to pick out my clothes. I didn't feel in a blue mood. I wanted something different. I dug to the back of my closet and pulled out a pair of black shorts and a neon green shirt that dipped low. I pulled out a black tank top to put under it so no cleavage would be showing. I grabbed my green converse from the bottom of my closet and my jewelry from the case next to my nightstand. I took out a white gold necklace that my mother had gotten me for Christmas. There was a moon with a tiny star dangling off the end and two hearts cradled in the curve of the moon. I put it on top of my clothes and got out a simple silver ring.

The shower water had been running and the steam was clouding up the mirrors. I threw my clothes in the dirty clothes hamper and stepped inside, my radio was already on like always. I wrote random lyrics on the fogged glass and cleaned myself. I didn't know what time it was, but I wanted to get as much done as I could before it was dark. I had to get the groceries and I also wanted to drive to the nearest city. My music collection was out of date and was in need of some serious improvements. As soon as I was ready I grabbed the credit card from the kitchen drawer, locked up, and ran down the stairs.

I got a parking space at the front again. As I walked in, I tried to ignore the still prying eyes. I had become used to it, but it was still uncomfortable. My earphones were in their positions and I bobbed my head to the music. I was only here to stock back up the house. I was in the milk aisle when a cold hand pressed against the small of my back. I whipped around with my fist clenched, ready to connect it to someone's face. Nick laughed and lowered my hand.

"Whoa there ninja princess. Calm down, it's only me." He brushed a curl from in front of my eyes and looked me up and down.

I smiled back as my muscles obeyed.

"Sorry," I whispered as I put the milk in the cart.

"I just saw you walk in and decided to say hi." He pushed the cart as I went to grab the eggs.

"Oh," I said as I grabbed two cartons and gently put them in the cart.

"Yeah, so how's your weekend been?" he asked casually.

I shrugged and turned to him. His eyes that were always warm seemed different.

"Boring. I've just slept most of the time. Did a little bit of studying but not too much." I smiled, hoping that it would take the edge out of his posture.

"He's overly fascinated with you," he said in an icy tone.

I raised an eyebrow curiously. "Who?"

"Chris. It's a little annoying," he shot a glance at an aisle and then turned back to me. "I must be off now, I have much to do in such little time." He bent his head down and put his lips by my ear. "You're looking very beautiful today if I may add."

I tried to breathe as my body felt instantly weak. To divert my attention, I looked at the aisle he had just turned to, wondering why he had looked there. It was quite obvious though. He walked back in the direction I assumed he came from and I tried to continue on with what I had been doing. I grabbed the three loaves of bread and threw them in the cart.

"He's testing my patience," a familiarly sweet voice sang to me.

I turned around and smirked. "I think he just cares."

He scoffed and rolled a pear in his hand.

"So you're going to talk to me now?" I asked as I turned away from him. He had been ignoring me since the first day he had popped up in class. He acted like my existence was a burden. I wondered if he really thought that.

"I never stopped talking to you."

I twirled around as he bit into the pear and quietly chewed.

"What?! You've been treating me like a plague ever since you came to school."

He laughed. "I would hardly exaggerate it to that extent."

"So now I'm over exaggerating everything?" I mumbled as I moved to the next aisle.

I knew he followed me though I couldn't hear his footsteps. I strained my ears for the sound, even turning my music off, but there was nothing but the chatter of the small town store.

"As if you didn't already know that for yourself." He mocked me.

I did know that though.

"Whatever," I said, hoping that it would end that particular conversation.

"You shouldn't be getting so close to that Nicholas." He said with as much venom as Nick had when he mentioned Chris.

"You mean Nick?" I corrected him. "He's a really good person. That's more than I can say about some people I've met in my short time here." I shot a glance at him.

His face was hard.

"Looks are very deceiving. You shouldn't even be talking to a lot of people that you do."

His words were hard to decipher. They confused me all the more.

"I'll be fine. I have a guardian," I said with smug pride. Saying the words out loud made me feel special in some way.

He stiffened and something that sounded like a growl passed through his clenched teeth. I continued walking, grabbing a few extra treats and then heading to the cashier register.

"Even with a guardian, you aren't necessarily close to being safe."

I must have looked as confused as I felt.

"You're fresh blood. Everyone's just itching to get a taste."

He sounded like he was joking, but there was something deeper to what he was saying that sent shivers up and down my body.

"I know how to take care of myself," I retorted.

He snorted and shook his head. I ignored him and shut my MP3 off.

"It's dying?" he asked curiously.

"No, I'm just getting tired of the same old songs. I need to update my collection."

He nodded. "How do you plan to do that?"

"Well, if you insist upon prying into my life, I plan to go to the next city over and see if they have anything."

His eyes narrowed. "Alone?"

"No, I plan to pack my whole family into my car and take a road trip." My sarcasm wasn't pleasant.

"I don't think that's a good idea." He dismissed my rude behavior.

"Well it's the only way that I can do it."

The cashier seemed to be listening to our conversation. I lowered my voice.

"Like I said, I can take care of myself."

"You should take someone with you," his voice was softer as well.

"Do you want to go with me?!" I almost shouted.

He considered it for a second before he frowned. "I don't think that would be best."

I stared at him, confused and annoyed. Since when was he entitled to try and run my life?

"Why are you being so _weird_?" I grabbed the last bag and pushed the cart outside. He followed me again. "You haven't even thought of my name and now you're trying to tell me what to do with myself?"

"Just because I haven't said anything doesn't mean I don't think it. You have no _idea _what goes through my mind."

For some unknown reason, his seriously sharp tone cut through my skin and stung. I didn't say anything. I walked to my car and threw everything into the trunk. He held the eggs and set them in the back seat. I glowered at him and got in the driver seat, slamming the door behind me. He crouched down through the open passenger door and looked at me with the same pleading eyes his sister had. His, though, had more intensity than hers. There was a hidden message behind his eyes that I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"I'm not trying to run your life. I'm trying to keep you safe. I can't see your future. I'm only trying to make sure that you come out alive." He sounded so sad that I thought about apologizing and promising to stay in my house for as long as I live.

But I wasn't about to give up so easily.

"Why does it matter to you?'

He thought it over and shrugged. "To be honest, I'm still puzzled by that myself." He shut the door and backed away from the car as I sped off.

My head was clouded like it had been the first couple of days that I was stuck here. I put everything away in a daze and partly fell asleep. My guardian came in as soon as it was dark. He—I figured he had to be male, his characteristics were too unlike a female's—was quiet, but I had grown accustomed to the sound of his soft heartbeat and his paws—yes, paws—thudding against the hardwood.

"I restocked the fridge." I said sleepily.

He nodded and lay down on the floor.

"What are you exactly?" I asked after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"It's best if you stop asking questions and just deal with what you have." He said in a gruff voice.

I jumped and smiled. "So you can talk!" I exclaimed.

"I'm not a dumb animal, that's for sure." He said as he put his head down.

"But you're not going to tell me what you are?"

He shook his head.

"You know I could turn on the lights and get the answer for myself."

"You're not that stupid. I could kill you before your brain had fully processed the message to the rest of your body," he said it so nonchalantly I had to try to suppress my laughter.

"Well…" I said as I put my head back on the couch pillow. "I've had a rough day."

He grumbled. I continued.

"You see there's this boy, and I sort of like him…"

He sighed dramatically and put his paws over his ears.

"Oh hush and listen. You're invading my privacy after all. It's the least you can do."

He put his paws down as if what I said actually made sense.

"I don't even know how to explain it. His name is Chris. You may know him. I don't know who knows him or who doesn't. That's not the point. When I first met him he was all mysterious and sexy, and then he just switches up and he acts like he doesn't want me to even be here. Then, when I'm just whatever about it, he comes up to me in the store and starts bossing me around. Like what in the world? How confusing is that?"

He laughed and his body shook.

"It's not all that funny if you're the one in the situation." I said angrily.

He continued to laugh and I rolled my eyes, turning the T.V. up and watching as Spongebob and Patrick frolicked through jellyfish field.


	8. Chapter 7

**007**

Two weeks after the store incident and Chris had returned back to his normal ways of ignoring me. At first, it hurt. But not ten minutes into class I had decided that I was fed up. My werewolf friend came unceasingly. At exactly 7 o'clock, I would walk outside to turn the T.V. on and see him lying dutifully by the couch. Mostly, he slept and ate. He talked sparingly which is how we both preferred it. He seemed so young, yet his vocabulary went beyond me at times. I sat on the couch with my feet crossed and a gallon of chocolate chip ice cream in between my hands. His head instantly perked up and a low whimper came from his throat. I looked at him and smiled.

"They say chocolate kills dogs," I taunted as I took a large scoop.

He growled but got up on his feet. He was a very large creature. Even as he kneeled he hovered over my body. He pressed his wet nose to my cheek and nudged me softly. I shook my head.

"Nope."

He looked at the ice cream and licked his lips, putting his mouth closer to it. I backed the jug away and gave him a warning look.

"Don't you dare," I said still trying to swallow my helping.

His eyes saddened and he whimpered again. I groaned.

"Fine." I took a bowl from the cabinet and took a scoop out.

He looked at me as though I was crazy and I kept scooping it out until he ran over with his tongue out. When I looked back into the jug, it had about two small scoops left. I sighed and plopped back down, flipping through the channels. The only thing on was the Boondocks. Thankfully, it was one of my favorite shows. I laughed as Granddad chased Riley around with the belt and nearly choked. I looked at the oversized dog and swallowed the last portion of my ice cream.

"I'm going to call you Huey," I said triumphantly.

"My name is Ryan." He said keeping his eyes closed.

"Ryan? That's a nice name. Kind of kid-like if you ask me."

He still didn't open his eyes as he responded. "I'm 19. Too old to be doing this damn babysitting job."

"Oh, so you're babysitting me now?"

"What else do you call watching somebody and making sure they don't drown in a puddle?" he cursed under his breath.

"Well, I didn't tell you that you had to." I said slightly hurt.

"Yeah, I know you didn't. If you did I wouldn't be here." He looked up and smiled.

I watched the T.V.

"So who sent you here?"

He growled again. "You're too nosey for your own good. _That _is going to be the death of you if nothing else."

"I have a right to know."

"Not until I get the orders."

"So now you follow someone's orders?" I smirked.

"It goes with the friendship. We listen to _each others_ orders." He didn't seem fazed.

"So are you just a… wolf… or can you turn into a human?"

"If I want to."

"Do you ever want to?"

"None of your business."

"Will I ever see you in your human form?"

"Shut up."

"Oh come on now. It's a simple question."

"I'm tempted to rip your throat out."

I closed my mouth and made a popping sound. His eyes stayed closed as he drifted off to sleep and I soon followed. The next thing I knew I heard two voices in my house. I panicked thinking my mom was home and she had seen my…friend—if you would call him that. It was another male's voice. It sounded familiar, but it was too soft for me to tell.

"How is she?" the mysterious person asked.

"She's fine. She doesn't even go out. I don't know why the hell I have to be here."

"Because it's not safe. They're waiting for you to leave her."

"So why don't you just do it? This is ruining my social life. You don't have one."

The other male didn't laugh at the joke.

"You know I can't be by her like that."

"You're stronger than you think."

"I don't want to test it."

There was silence.

"She asks too many questions."

There was a quiet, musical laugh that made me smile though my sleepy state.

"That's my Tasha."

My ears perked. _His _Tasha?

"Yeah, whatever. I think _you _should be the one watching _your _Tasha. The food is great but the gig is getting old."

Silence.

"That would bring up a different round of questions."

"Like there isn't enough now?"

"EXACTLY!" the voice sounded angry.

"Look, why don't you just tell her the deal?"

"So she can spit in my face and run away?" his voice seemed broken and sad at the thought.

I wanted to open my eyes and see who it was; see who had sent Ryan here to watch my every waking move, but I couldn't. I knew they would see me.

"Hey, calm down bro. From what I see, she's not like that. She's a weirdo." There was a smile in his voice. I smiled too.

"I can't. She's in enough danger now."

"What danger? I don't get it? WHAT DANGER?!" Ryan's voice raised an octave.

"They know how I feel… they know everything about her…" his voice trailed off.

"Look, the sun is coming up. I need to go home. I smell."

I heard Ryan rise and the sound of his heavy paws as he moved across the floor to the window. He stopped.

"You coming?" he asked.

"No… I'm going to stay behind for a few. I'll catch up to you later."

Ryan jumped from the window, but I didn't hear him land. There were no more footsteps, but I felt a cold hand on my face. It ran down from my forehead to my chin and then back again. A pair of lips brushed against my ear and whispered softly.

"Dream my Tasha. I'm going to keep you safe. I don't know how, but I am. I will let no danger come to you. No matter what it takes, I will keep you alive. Sleep my Tasha. The world will soon be at your feet. Breathe for me. I need your heart beating. I need you."

"Chris?" I said as I opened my eyes.

The house was empty. The window closed. I came to the conclusion that I was having a detailed dream. Nonetheless, I tossed and turned for hours. What danger? I thought I was safe. But the words made me paranoid. I sat up until my mother came home. A sense of safety washed over me as she went into her room, mumbling unintelligibly before she fell asleep on her bed; her uniform still on. I lowered the T.V. and closed my eyes. I didn't sleep though. I was wide-awake. I flipped through episode after episode, commercial after commercial. When the clock finally read 10 a.m., I got up and got ready. I was going out today. I needed to clear my head. By 12:30 p.m. I had showered, dressed, eaten, and gotten a list of everything I wanted together. I headed down the stairs, stopping occasionally to say hi and then kept it moving. The air was warm and the sun shone softly. It wasn't majestic, but it was pretty. I skipped down the sidewalk, smiling to myself. As soon as I turned the corner, my smile disappeared.

He leaned casually against my car, looking up at the clouds as they floated past. I frowned and clenched my fists. What a way to throw a perfect day away. I had barely spun around before I knew that he had already noticed me. He was waiting for me.

"Natasha!" he screamed.

I growled and barely looked at him. "What?" I said with venom spilling off my tongue.

"Such a beautiful day to be inside wouldn't you say?"

"I've seen more beautiful than this," I said as I walked back.

"So have I, but you must settle for what you have." He was beside me, smiling.

I walked faster. "What do you want Chris? I'm not in the mood."

"You were just a few moments ago. You were skipping and smiling as I observed. What could have changed your mood so quickly?" he was obviously teasing me.

"Oh, I don't know. YOU!" I screamed and kept walking.

He stopped and a child's sad face replaced his. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.

"I… I'm…"

"No… you're absolutely right. I've acted absurd in class. It's childish games." His face had switched back to normal and he took my hand. My heart stopped for a good 30 seconds. "But you see my dear Natasha, sometimes, when you're involved, such games are necessary for the well-being of all." He smiled.

"I wish you would have kept to your games." I snatched my hand away and started walking again.

He stood in front of me. "See, that would work if you weren't so utterly irresistible." He smirked and brushed a curl from my shoulder.

"What the hell man! Are you bipolar or something?" I screamed.

He laughed until I thought he would start to cry.

"No, not bipolar. Confused, mostly, but not bipolar."

"So you ignore me in class and make me feel horrible because you're confused? Seems pretty messed up to me."

He nodded. "It is, but it is also more complicated than you make it seem. It's a choice between love and safety."

"You don't have to chose. You can have both you know."

"Not in this situation." He smiled and brushed a finger against my jawbone.

I shivered. "So which did you choose?"

His eyes closed momentarily. "For now, I choose love and make safety happen on my own terms."

I nodded and pulled back from his touch for fear that I would soon collapse.

"So why talk to me now? Why not wait and make the decision later? Or sooner?"

He smiled, showing off abnormally sharp teeth. I bit my tongue.

"Like I said, you're too irresistible. Besides, I was tired of seeing Nick having all the fun."

"I'm just fun?" I was still agitated.

His eyes and tone took on a more serious note. "You are more than fun. You are more to me than you could ever know."

I stood there, frozen. Not able to respond in any way. His words processed but then again they didn't. My brain was scrambling for reason. It seemed like the world was spinning so much faster than I had remembered. He took my hand and started pulling me to my car again. I hadn't even noticed him take the car keys until he put them in the ignition and revved the car. It was like music to both our ears. For the first time, he gave me a head to toe look.

"You shouldn't be so revealing." He said, staring at my shorts and low cut shirt.

"I have a tank top underneath."

"You don't have oversized jeans on under those shorts," he said smiling.

He put the windows down and drove off.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he drove on the highway.

"You said you needed to update your music collection, right?"

I nodded.

"So, we're going to do just that." He sped up, zooming past cars at an unbelievable rate.

The wind whipped against the car and I put my head against the seat.

"Tired?" he asked as I quietly yawned.

I nodded again. "Didn't get much sleep last night."

He looked at me as though the information was old to him.

He still asked, "Why not?"

I shrugged. "I had a weird dream. Kept me up the whole night."

He eyebrows rose in interest. "Oh, what was the dream about?"

"Hard to explain. You and Ryan were in it; whole bunch of talking. Confusing."

"Ryan?" he asked questioningly.

"Yeah, you probably don't know him. Don't worry about it." I closed my eyes and yawned again, drifting off to sleep to the sound of the car against the paved road.

* * *

"Wake up," he whispered to me as he shook me lightly.

I groaned and swatted his hands away. He laughed and shook me again.

"We're here. Wake up." He opened his door.

I looked in the mirror. I had drooled. Quickly, I wiped it off and hoped he hadn't seen it. Subconsciously, I knew he had though. It was pretty noticeable. I stepped out the car when I was halfway presentable.

"Where are we?" my voice was still hoarse from what seemed like hours of sleep.

"New York, New York." He stated with pride.

I raised an eyebrow. It didn't look too much like New York, NY. He seemed to understand that I didn't find his joke funny.

"Or… Verona. It's only ten minutes away." He smiled.

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I've been sleeping for ten minutes?"

He shook his head. "No, I just let you sleep. You needed it."

I grimaced remembering the saliva dried on my face. "I'd rather you have woken me up."

He chuckled. "You're an adorable sleeper. No worries."

He started walking down the sidewalk of little shops with his hands behind his back. I clutched my little bag with my list and money. It was a humble little place. Couples of all ages sat on benches and stood by the little lake. I smiled and looked at Chris. He had stopped in front of a dark store with only a sign acknowledging that it was open.

"Your music store."

I looked at him and then back to the store.

"I know, it doesn't look like much, but it has everything you can think of." He smiled.

I walked to the door and then glanced at him over my shoulder. "You're going to let me go in by myself?"

He half-smiled. "You'll be fine. Plus, you don't have to see for me to be watching." He walked to the store next to mine that held books.

I took a deep breath and pulled the door back. The scent of incense and coffee drew me back to a comforting time. I took in another breath to fill my lungs, and then unwillingly exhaled. A kind old woman sat behind the corner. She watched me and giggled. I blushed and walked to the back corner.

"How can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm just looking," I said without looking up from a few records that caught my eye.

She nodded. "Take your time."

I did. The next time I had checked my cell phone it had been two hours since I had first walked in the store. I moaned and grabbed the last few CD's and things that I wanted. He was right. The store had everything I wanted and more. My total was high, but I was satisfied. The old woman smiled warmly.

"Come again."

"I will," I promised.

I walked over to the bookstore to see Chris sitting against the back wall. The store was small, and his built figure wasn't hard to pick out from the rest of the people there. They all watched as I went to the back and stood in front of him.

"Done so soon?" he asked without taking his eyes off the passage.

"Yeah, sorry. I just got caught up."

He shrugged and looked up with a genuine smile. "No worries, it seemed like five minutes to me."

I smiled as well and looked at the book he was reading.

"Vampire stories," he informed me. "They never get them right. It makes me mad, yet it makes me laugh." He put the book down and half-smiled again.

"And you would know how?" I questioned.

His eyes shone in the store light and his smile turned wickedly mischievous. "The bedtime stories that scared you to sleepless nights were written by the monster itself."

I was puzzled. "Okay…" I said as I walked off to look at a few books.

"Must we stay any longer?" he pleaded. "If I see one more person look at you with the eyes of a starving dog, I think I may just combust."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"I'm very territorial."

"You have nothing to be territorial about."

"I don't?" he asked.

I ignored him and walked to the passenger side of the car. He unlocked it and I slipped inside.

"I would think I did," he smirked and winked.

His eyes were gorgeous. I stared in them for what seemed like an eternity. All my thoughts were lost. He put his hand to the side of my face.

"Nick was right."

I looked confused.

"You can get lost in your eyes."

He put his face closer to mine. All I had to do was reach a bit further and _click_, but he pulled away as quickly as he came. I blinked my eyes and sat back in my seat.

"So," he said casually, "do you want to go back home now? Or do I get to have you to myself for some more time?"

I shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat, Pablo."

He laughed.

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see." He drove out of the parking space and sped down the narrow road, back to the highway.


	9. Chapter 8

_Authors Note: Due to the lack of reviews I think I may just quit this story and take it to another site. For those of you who did review, thank you (: For those of you who just read what I write and give me no feedback--whether it's positive or negative does not matter to me--die (: haha, no. But seriously, I will only continue if I get reviews._

**008**

My nerves were on edge as I waited to see where we were going. I turned the radio on and put my arm out the window. He seemed happy as he drove with one hand; glancing at me for moments that made time dissolve and me feel uncomfortable. I had to keep reminding him to keep his eyes on the road; it seemed to be the last thing he was worrying about. I smiled nervously and looked as the trees whipped past us. Sometimes, I had the urge to reach my hand out and touch them. I knew it would probably get cut off, but I wanted to try. He glared at me as I stuck my hand out further. Once, he even started rolling up my window. I hissed softly and his eyes grew wide before he busted out in laughter. I ignored him and rolled the window back down. This time though, I didn't stick my hand out so far.

"Thank you," he whispered.

I kept my gaze outside the car, not wanting to look at him even when I knew his eyes were only focused on me.

"Are you trying to kill us both?"

"What?" he was confused.

"To drive, you must look at the road. No distractions."

"Oh…" he turned back to the road and I wished I hadn't said anything.

I was being cold to him, but at the same time I wanted to make him stop the car and curl up in his lap like a child. I wanted him to hold me, but with the way he had treated me before, I refused to.

"I know nothing about you," he looked at me and smiled.

"What do you want to know?" my eyes didn't move.

"Everything," he slowed the car down and stared at me again.

"My name is Natasha," I began.

He laughed. "Things I don't know."

"Can I finish?"

He nodded. "My apologies."

"I was born in Orlando, Florida on March 12th."

"How old are you?

I sighed. "17."

He nodded. "Continue."

"There's nothing really to say."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

He cracked a small smile. "Isn't that a boy color?"

"Colors aren't assigned genders."

He kept questioning me. Some of them confused me, some I had never been asked before. When he said he wanted to know everything about me, he meant it. He drove up alongside a small beach as I was finishing answering his last question.

"We're here." He looked out as the sun was softening against the sky and the waves were washing on the shore, caressing the sand.

"It's beautiful." I whispered as I reached for the door handle.

"I've seen things more beautiful." He reached his hand out to touch my hair and I moved out of the open door. His hand fell as well as his face.

"Stop trying to flatter me." My tone was harsh and reprimanding.

"I'm trying to tell the truth."

"Yeah, sure." I slammed the door and walked towards the sand.

He was behind me in a matter of seconds, arm around my waist.

He pressed his lips to the top of my ear. "Why must you act so cold when your heart is so warm?"

I wanted to push away from him; I wanted to slap him for touching me. I wanted to do so many things but all I could do was press my head against his chest. He bent his head down to put it on mine and I could feel him smiling through my thick curls of hair.

"I don't know," I mumbled as we walked along the beach.

He hid our shoes in a small cave where he promised no one would notice. We walked and he asked more questions: what my favorite movie was, what my favorite part in that movie was, what flavor ice cream I liked the most, and so on? Every single detail of my life was somehow important to him. We sat down, putting our feet in the water but not getting our bottoms wet. I traced random images in the sand, watching as the sun went down and my heart raced. He was lying beside me, his gaze never breaking from me. My cheeks felt hot.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" I asked.

"It's hard to explain." His eyes didn't divert their attention.

"Can you try?" I lay on my side so that I was facing him. My curls were in a messy bun but one still managed to get in my face.

He looked at the sky as he spoke. "It's like seeing heaven for the first time. It's unreal, and you fear that if you take your eyes away for a second, it could disappear and you'll only have the memory of it to live by." He turned back to me. "I don't want to have to live by the mere memory of you."

Even in my head it sounded too cliché, but I wanted so badly to kiss him as the sun slowly went down. I was tempted to climb on top of him and place my lips on his, to get it over and out of the way. I felt that was how we both wanted it, but there was no way to be sure. The thought of rejection kept me where I was. Though it was hard to look away from him, I turned my head to watch the sun.

"If all that you say is true, why do your actions contradict your words?" My mind kept referring to how he was before. I refused to believe that when school started he would be changed.

"I have a hard time acting on my feelings. I let things hold me back." He seemed to think about what he said.

The rumbling of my stomach interrupted the serene quiet.

"You're hungry," he stated instead of asked.

I nodded sullenly. "Sorry."

He laughed and offered a hand to help me up. "Nothing to be sorry about."

There was a nice little restaurant across the street that we went to—after we wiped the sand off of course. The lights were dim and the restaurant was a little dark as we walked in. Not in the gothic way that would freak many out, but in a way that set a calm, loving mood. I wondered why he would pick here. A waitress came up to him, completely ignoring my existence, and asked him if he would like a table or booth for his party of one. My eyes squinted. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

"Party of two," he said smoothly.

Both the waitress and I looked as though we were about to faint.

"Somewhere secluded if you could," he added with a small smile that must have sent sparks through her veins. I knew it did mine.

She led us to a small booth in the back.

"Your waiter will be out shortly," she said with added friendliness.

"Thank you," he smiled curtly and then looked at me.

I was still watching her as her eyes never left his body. They trailed over every muscle as she walked to the front again. I growled and then looked back at him.

"So…" he picked my chin up with a finger so my eyes met his.

"Are you going to act the same as you always do in school?"

"I imagine not." He brushed my cheek with his finger and I pulled back. His brows furrowed. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know whether to believe that or not."

"I haven't lied to you yet, have I?"

I shrugged and looked at the next bimbo, I mean waiter, approaching with a smile on her face and a shorter pair or shorts than should have been legal.

"And how can I help you today, cutie?" she was staring at him. I was invisible.

He looked at me. "What would you like?"

"A coke and an order of chicken tenders." I looked at her, but she didn't stray from him.

"And another coke to add to that." He looked at me, puzzled.

"You don't want anything to eat?" she asked him.

"I had a big breakfast," he flashed his pearly white smile and then looked back at me.

"Okay then…" she walked off, clicking her tongue as she walked to the kitchen.

"You seem annoyed."

"I am." He was a Captain Obvious.

"Why? Did I do something?"

I shook my head quickly, too quickly, I felt dizzy. "No, I just hate being ignored."

"I'm not ignoring you."

"Not you… those girls…" I stared in their direction.

"Who?" he followed my gaze.

"The waitress, the girl that led us to the table. It's like I'm not even here. It's just you."

"You don't like the way they look at me." He had cut through to the true meaning.

I nodded.

He leaned forward, smiling. "Now you know how I feel."

I scoffed. "As if, I'm sure it's not that bad with me. I'm ordinary. You're…extraordinary."

He laughed. "I beg to differ. You're more unique than you give yourself credit for."

We waited until my food came and ate in silence. He watched me, studying every muscle movement and eye diversion. It felt odd, but I didn't say anything. I'd rather his eyes be on me than any other girl. When I finished, I sipped the last of my third or fourth cup of Coke and looked at him. I felt a bit embarrassed thinking about how much I had eaten and drunk put together. He face gave no sign of caring, he just smiled and asked for the bill. I pulled out my wallet, ready to pay.

"Put it away," he ordered.

I looked at him warily. "Say what?"

"It's the gentleman thing to do if I pay."

"Well you don't have to be a gentleman, it was my food."

"It's the way I was raised. Please," he put his hand on my wallet and pushed it back to me.

I narrowed my eyes and reasoned with myself that I would slip a twenty in his wallet when he wasn't looking. We walked out with the glares of the jealous girls boring a hole in my back. I smiled to myself as he opened the car door for me and waved them goodbye.

"You shouldn't tease them like that. It's not nice." He was smiling though, not scolding me like his tone was meant for.

I shrugged. "No one said I was nice."

"You could have fooled me."

We drove in silence. The only sound was the soft singing of the wind against the car. He pulled into my parking space and unwillingly turned the car off.

"Can I walk you to your door?" he pleaded.

I nodded my head and opened the door. He walked right behind me, not leaving much space for even a fly to pass between us.

"You walk 12 flights of stairs everyday?" he was questioning my sanity.

"The elevator takes too long," I turned back and smiled at him.

He shook his head and was quiet until we reached my door. He slowed down and then stood in front of me. My back was pressed up against the door and I fought to smile. I didn't want to leave him now. I didn't want to leave this night. I wished everything didn't have to end. The sad truth was that it did. It was the way the world worked, the cruel, evil world.

"Did you have fun?" he asked stalling for time.

I nodded. "Yeah, I did aside from the worries on how you'll act Monday."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"No worries, nothing will change. I promise you that."

I tried to command my heart to beat again. It took awhile, but it seemed to obey.

"Do you want to come in for a second? Watch some T.V.?" I sounded desperate. I wanted to smack myself.

"I want to as bad as you do, but I think it would be best if I just went home." He brushed his hand against my face.

It felt like he was holding back from doing something and my suspicions weren't exactly denied when he squeezed his eyes closed. He was in pain, it was clear to see on his face. I looked around frantically, trying to see what it was. His fists were clenched and he was barely breathing.

"What's the matter?" I asked, my eyes getting heavy with un-fallen tears.

"I have to go." He opened his eyes as he turned around. They flickered red as I had seen them do more than once.

He jumped down the stairs, not looking back as he left me. I slumped down the door and groaned. I wanted to cry, but I found no reason to. So I sat there, pounding my fists against the floor and saying every curse I knew. After twenty minutes, the door slowly opened.

"Are you just going to sit there?" a dark shadow asked from inside.

I didn't look back; I walked in, past Ryan, and in to my room where I curled into a ball on my bed. I heard the door shut and lock. I heard him walk over to me slowly, probably regretting what he was about to do.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Chris. I don't know. He switched. You don't care. Forget it. I just need to think, wallow, something."

He lay on the floor by my head, poking me softly.

"He'll be okay. He's just a little weird."

"You know him?" I asked.

"Yeah…" he sounded like he didn't want to go further into the conversation.

"He's the one who sent you to watch me?" I asked though I already knew the answer, I had always known the answer.

He nodded, hoping I wouldn't see.

"Why?"

"He doesn't want me to tell you."

"I deserve to know."

"I know, but still."

"I'm sick of this! I'm the one who's having my life opened to the whole world and I can't even know why?"

He chuckled. "Stop over exaggerating."

I growled. It sounded wimpy compared to his, but I couldn't care.

"He likes you. You don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't be here if he didn't like you."

"Why are you even here? Do you know why you're here?"

He was quiet as he thought about it. On that subject, he was as perplexed as I was.

"I do, yet I don't. I know some of the details, yet I don't know the full extent of it all. I'm not in that world."

"What world? What's going on?"

"You need to sleep." He said as he put his head down and closed his eyes.

I wanted to tell him that I felt like I was dreaming. I felt like I had been sleeping this whole time because it was the only way to explain all of this. None of it made sense, Chris' behavior, the codes that they talked in, and the dream with him and Ryan in my house that I no longer thought to be just a dream. Nothing made sense to me; there was no type of logic behind it.

"Not everything has to be explained. Not everything can be explained."

I glared at him. "What? Are you a mind reader now?"

He laughed.

"I'm asking him tomorrow." I spoke my thoughts aloud.

"You try that princess."

That was the end of the conversation. I partly fell asleep, I didn't dream. I kept my ears alert for when Chris would come. I wanted to know as soon as I could, and seeing as I had no way to get in touch with him besides when he decided to pop up out of nowhere, I would have to catch him. He gave no introduction to his appearance. One minute all was quiet, and the next there was dialogue.

"Is she okay?"

"Same as every night. She's just a little pissed."

"I lost control. I was fine the whole day, but then I just lost control. I didn't want to hurt her." He rambled on.

"I know, but I think you should tell her that."

"You know I can't."

"Why not? Mythical creatures obviously don't scare her. She welcomes a werewolf into her house for Pete's sake!"

I had to hold my laughter.

"A werewolf and a vampire are two different things."

"Not really, I just turn into a dog. We're both monsters." He was trying to make him smile.

"She'll run away from me. She won't be able to look at me... She won't be able to love me."

Is that what he was worried about?

I opened my eyes. "Says who?"

Their eyes darted to me.

"I thought you said she was asleep." Chris hissed to Ryan.

"I pretended. I took acting classes. Don't blame him."

He wouldn't stop glaring at Ryan. His breathing was heavy and his fists were clenched again.

"Calm down, Chris." I ordered him.

As if he had forgotten I was there before, he looked at me with softened eyes.

"You're dreaming," he tried to persuade me.

"I'm not stupid," I said angrily.

He walked closer to me, his voice soft as he repeated what he had said before.

"I'm… not…stupid." I said through clenched teeth.

His eyes hardened. "No one would believe you."

"Who said I was going to tell anyone. Do you think so lowly of me now?"

I looked at Ryan. He was in his human form. My eyes widened as I immediately recognized him. He was the man in the car; the one that sped off on the day of open house. He was lighter than Chris with black, spiked hair. His eyes were a beautiful bright blue. I had never seen anyone with those colored eyes before. I smiled and waved at him.

"Told you I would see soon enough."

He growled playfully but didn't take his eyes off of Chris. He was in a protective stance, just in case Chris did something that could harm them both.

"My Tasha… please, go back to sleep."

I looked back at Chris.

"I have a right to know since you've involved me in whatever this is."

His eyes were sad. "I didn't mean to involve you. I didn't mean for anything to happen."

"You can't control love," Ryan said calmly.

"That you can't." Chris agreed.

I looked at them both before my eyes focused on Chris.

"So, what's going on?" I demanded to know.

He said nothing. He was trying to figure out what to do, what to say, whether he could trust me or not.

"I'm not going to say anything, I'm not going to run away, and I'm not going to spit in your face. I'm staying here. Just tell me what's going on. That's all I want to know."

Chris shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I was furious. My skin was hot and my blood boiled. I closed my hands into fists, I wondered if it would hurt if I smacked him.

"Chris! Stop trying to feed me shit! I know something's up! Why else would you have a werewolf watching me? A werewolf? Come on now, if that doesn't scream fishy than I don't know what does. How are your eyes always flickering red?"

"It's the way the light comes across them," he defended himself. I was getting tired of his lies.

"Bull! Even when it's dark your eyes flicker red. It happens when you're mad, when you're not in control?" I waited for him to answer me. "I thought you weren't going to lie to me? I thought you were truthful!"

"Sometimes you need to know lies to keep you safe."

"I don't want to be safe! If I can't have both than I choose love over safety! But to have love you have to have truth; you have to have trust!"

He dropped to his knees, staring at the floor. "Please… don't…shut up…"

I shook my head. "No. Either you tell me or I find another way to find out. Whatever it takes, I will find out."

He looked up. "Why can't you just drop it?"

"Because I want to know, I have a right to know. My life is at stake correct? I should know what I could be dying for."

Ryan's mouth was wide open. He looked back and forth between Chris and I waiting to see what the outcome would be. I knelt down in front of him, putting my hand to his face and raising it so he could look at me.

"You love me right?" I didn't wait for him to answer. "Then tell me. Start from the beginning. I promise not to run." I nodded for Ryan to block the door. He obeyed.

I waited, giving Chris time to begin. I knew he would tell me; he had to.

He hesitated. "I can only tell you so much. The rest I'll have to talk over with my family."

I nodded. "Tell me what you can."

"…I was the visitor in your room…" he began.


	10. Chapter 9

**009**

I wasn't surprised by what he told me. I had feeling that it was him all along. The way I felt about both was too close for them to be separate people. I nodded, urging him to go on. He didn't look up as he told me his story.

"I don't know why I came in. I had never done so before. But there was something about you that drew me. It was more than your blood," he smiled. "I couldn't see you in my future. So when I smelt something different, I was confused. I thought I should have known that we would have fresh blood. I climbed up the side of the building. I didn't care if anyone saw me; I had to find out who you were. I was about to open your window when you did it for me. I thought you were welcoming me in." He looked up at me, his eyes red. He expected me to be frightened, but I just nodded, letting him know I was following. "When I came in, you were preparing to bathe. I didn't move. I watched you. I contemplated killing you, but I couldn't. My mind wouldn't allow me to move." He ran his hand over the cold concrete of my floor. "I didn't see your face until you were in the bathtub."

I was mortified. I always knew that my visitor had seen me… nude. But now with the solid fact that my visitor was Chris, it made me queasy. I poked at my flabby stomach. He laughed softly, not taking his eyes from the floor.

"Don't worry, I didn't see you unclothed. I'm a gentleman, I looked at your face the whole time."

I hadn't noticed that I had tensed but suddenly my shoulders relaxed.

"I thought that by seeing your face, I would be able to leave and hunt you later. I knew I couldn't at that moment. It would be horrible for your mother to walk in on your lifeless body. I thought to leave it to another time."

"How thoughtful," I muttered under my breath.

He continued, ignoring my sarcasm. "Somehow, though, I slipped up. I tried to stay in the dark corners; I didn't make a sound, yet you saw me. You looked so calm, like you weren't afraid of me. I wanted to stay, but I knew if you saw me you would probably try to kill me. Though it wouldn't be successful, I didn't want a scene." He laughed to himself. "So I went home. I tried not to think about it."

Ryan laughed. "Whole lot of good that did you, eh?"

Chris glared momentarily. He obviously hadn't forgiven him for not making sure that I was fully asleep. Ryan wasn't to blame. Eleven years of Drama Camp had done me good in the long run.

"It didn't. I couldn't stop thinking about you no matter how hard I tried. And believe me, I tried. When I closed my eyes, all I could see was you. It was weird and I didn't know how to deal with it. It had never happened to me before. It never occurred to me that it could happen. I hadn't been home long, but I decided that I wanted to go back. I wanted to see you again. I had to." He smirked shyly. "So when I knew you were asleep, I climbed back through your window. I felt bad for intruding again, but as soon as I had my foot out the window to leave, you whispered _'I trust you.' _Whether you were talking to me or not didn't matter. I couldn't leave. I stayed until morning, not bothering to clean up my cookie crumbs. In a way, I wanted you to know."

I smiled, brushing the back of his hand. He pulled it back. "Please, don't."

I nodded. "So, you followed me to the store?"

"Not exactly. I did try to see what you would be doing that day, but I came up blank. When you are considered the future comes out a mystery. In a way, it's exciting. In others, it scares me. I decided I was going to leave you alone. My sister had other plans though." He laughed. "She likes you, you know?"

I cringed. "I can't tell…Really, I can't."

"She's just worried. She doesn't want anything to happen to you. Just like me. Anyways, she 'broke' into your house and sent you a message from your mothers phone telling you to get groceries. She figured that you would need them anyways. She told me where you would be, so I waited for you there. When you first came in, I was going to approach you. But I was scared. It was an odd feeling, fear. I've never felt it before, but when I did, it felt…normal. So I waited, I watched. I tried to see if you would give anything off like most do, but you just listened to your music and shopped."

I stopped him. "So, if your sister was the one that told me to get groceries, how did my Mom seem to know that's what I went out for?"

He had a smug smile on his face. "I stole your phone for a few seconds to tell her that you went food shopping."

I nodded. It made sense. I barely paid attention to my phone when I was listening to music.

"When you came out, I had to force myself to say something. I knew it was now or never, and I refused to go unnoticed."

I smiled at the memory. I could remember the exact words he had said to me.

"But as soon as I spoke, I became a coward. I ran."

Though he was unsatisfied, his actions had actually drawn me to him more. He was mysterious and it was cute. I wanted more.

"I beat myself up. I was so furious. I had the chance and I let it slip between my fingertips." He put his hand into a fist and then let it go. "So that night I went back. I bargained with myself that since I hadn't had a full-on conversation, I had to go back." He laughed. "You…you had a wooden bar on your window…so that I couldn't get in. It made me mad. I was determined to get in, and though it would be no big project to, the thought of having to do extra labor worked my nerves." His laugh put me on edge. It was awkward, different from how he normally was. It was as though he was another person. "When the wood broke I was sure that you had woken, but you barely rolled over. I cleaned it up. I didn't want you to hurt yourself." He looked up and winked. "And then I just watched you. I made no movements, I just watched. You mumbled phrases here and there, but nothing too significant. You were even more of an angel when you were sleeping. I couldn't keep my eyes off you."

He went on to tell me his side of the story. From watching me, to finding out that some vampire cult was out to kill me simply because he loved me, and all the things that I hadn't even noticed. He told me everything from his eyes, his ears, and his heart—though he claimed it wasn't beating. We sat there in silence while I let everything sink in. I wasn't afraid. I was just all the more curious.

"So are they going to kill me?"

"No, not yet. They have no logical reason to at the moment. But when they find something they can work with, I'm sure they will try. I won't let them get to you, so worry not."

"Okay," I beamed a smile at him and then spread my legs out. They had fallen asleep somewhere in the process.

"What do you mean okay?"

I was baffled by the simple question. "What do you mean what do I mean by okay? I mean okay. There's no secret meaning to it. It just means okay." I laughed and rubbed my legs.

"A vampire that can kill you at any moment at his own will is in love with you, there's a chance that you could die, and you could now be introduced to a whole world of danger and secrets. All you can say is okay?"

"I'm good at keeping secrets."

His eyes narrowed. "I could kill you right now. By simply tapping you on the side of the head."

"I know."

"You're okay with that?"

"Not okay with dying, but the rest, yeah." I smiled.

"Do you not realize the extent of the danger?"

"I do."

"So why are you taking this like a joke?"

"I'm not. I said okay."

He clenched his fist. "EVERY SECOND OF YOU'RE LIFE YOU'RE FACING POSSIBLE DEATH BECAUSE OF ME, AND YOU'RE _OKAY _WITH THAT?"

"Love over safety," I stated calmly.

He reached over, shaking me as lightly as he could without killing me. "Your life is on the line!"

I put my hand on his arm, trying to push him off. His grip was tight.

"I…don't…care." I pronounced each word with care. "Now get off me."

He looked at me for a few more seconds, bewildered, before getting up and standing by my window.

"I told you she was weird." Ryan was laughing at the whole situation.

Chris was staring out the window. He was thinking—since there was absolutely nothing outside at this time of night (or morning). What was running through his mind was only a mystery to me. I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine with it. Why's that such a bad thing?"

"It's not bad. It's just…confusing…" his voice trailed off as it mixed with his inner thoughts.

I wrapped my arms around his waist the best I could and put my head on his back. He didn't move, he continued to stare out into the black night.

"Okay," Ryan said trying to break us up, "can we save this for another time when I won't throw up all my dinner?" He was kidding, but he was obviously a little uncomfortable with our affection.

"Someone hasn't had a girlfriend in a while," I teased.

"Someone doesn't have time for a girlfriend." He put his hand on Chris' shoulder and turned him around. "Come on man, she's cool with it. No games, no nothing. Take it as it is before you push her away." He looked at me and then to Chris, smiling.

"She's hungry," he still wouldn't look at me.

"I thought you couldn't—" my sentence was cut off mid-sentence by the rumbling of my stomach.

He smiled.

"Feed her, please."

Ryan took me by the arm and led me to the kitchen. Chris didn't move. He looked back out the window, putting his forehead against the cool glass to calm himself.

"Is he mad at me?" I whispered to Ryan when we were in the kitchen.

"No need to whisper. He can hear you anyways." He opened to fridge and grabbed some slabs of meat. "To answer your question, no, he's not mad at you. He's trying to figure out if you're pulling a fast one on him. He's prepared himself for your turning him down so much that you being okay with it sets him completely off. He just needs to reposition and refocus; he'll be as good as new in a while. Don't even stress it, kid."

I growled playfully and grabbed a box of banana cereal from the cabinet. I wasn't in the mood for anything big. I needed something small that would allow me to think. I was at complete ease with the news of Chris being a vampire. I always knew he was different, special, and this just confirmed what I had known all along. Of course I didn't expect him to be a vampire, but it was better than him being an extra terrestrial from Pluto. I smiled as I ate my cereal silently. Ryan on the other hand, crunched loudly on the gallons of food he had taken out for himself. I felt sick at the sight of all the leftover dinners we had piled in front of him. He looked like a small child in a candy store as he dug in. Not one morsel of food flew out of his mouth. He was a clean, but loud eater.

"Guess I have to go shopping again." I made a mental reminder.

Chris walked out of my room, laughing at Ryan and then sitting next to me. He didn't take his eyes off me like when we were in the car, and I was grateful. I put my hand on top of his as I ate my last spoonful of cereal and then put it in the sink.

"I love you," Chris whispered as I sat back down.

"How quickly you say it," Ryan interjected as he took a breath of air from his feast.

"How much I mean it." He reached across the table and wiped a droplet of milk that dangled from my lower lip. He licked it off of his finger and then smiled back at me.

I had the same urge as before to sit in his lap and put my head against his chest, but I didn't want to push him. We stared at each other, ignoring Ryan's existence and excessively loud chewing. It was just the two of us and nothing else mattered. Instinctively, I yawned. He smiled.

"Time for bed." He stood up and held a hand out to me.

I reluctantly took it, following him to my bedroom as Ryan trailed at our heels. He was rubbing his stomach and going about how he was full. I was surprised that he didn't go throw up. I knew that he ate a lot, but I had never witnessed how much. I grabbed my pajamas from my closet, this time picking a bright green from my usual blues. I closed the bathroom door and hurried to brush my teeth, take a quick shower, and put my new clothes on. I turned the light off and jumped on my bed, digging the covers from under the pillows and turning to Chris. He sat in the rocking chair by my bed, eying me carefully as he debated what to do. I patted the space beside me suggestively. After a few moments of thinking about the consequences, he came and lay beside me.

"You don't want any cover?" I asked.

"I'd rather not push my luck."

I shrugged sleepily. "Whatever floats your boat?"

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "Sleep my Tasha," he whispered.

I nodded. "What about Ryan? Does he want a bed? I can blow up the air bed if he would like."

"He's used to sleeping on the floor," Chris said teasingly.

Ryan growled. "Besides, I would probably break it." He walked outside momentarily before he returned in the wolf form that I was used to.

I smiled. "Chris?"

"Hmm?" he grunted.

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"I will." He wrapped his arms around me tighter and this time I closed my eyes.

Within a matter of seconds, I had drifted off to sleep. I heard nothing, but I saw much. They were scattered dreams, flashing colors that mixed into one after awhile. There was darkness, and then there was light. I knew the light to only be Chris. I smiled and walked towards it.

When I woke up, his arms were still around me and my face was buried in his chest. I checked to make sure that I hadn't drooled. Clear. I smiled and breathed in, his shirt smelled different then I last remembered.

"You changed." I didn't ask, I already knew.

"Hygiene," he laughed.

"You laugh quite a bit," I observed.

"I have a reason to. So why not laugh as much as I possibly can before I lose it all?"

I pushed away from him, he didn't resist. "Why do you keep thinking that I'm going to leave?"

"It's bound to happen."

"By doing that you just push me away. You're setting up your own failure." I pushed the covers off and walked to the bathroom. By the time I walked back he was on the edge of the bed with hands on his knees.

"I'm sorry." He spoke to the floor.

"I'm not going anywhere. I don't care what you are."

"I'm scared."

I sat by his side, grabbing his hand and intertwining our fingers. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?" he looked up at me now.

I nodded and smiled. "I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die."

His eyes hardened.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Die? Why must you say die?"

"Okay… okay… um… hope to get a splinter." I smiled and watched his eyes soften.

"Sounds a little bit better." He smiled back and then looked at the bathroom, reminiscing.

"Where's Ryan?" I hadn't seen him since I had woken up.

"He went home. He needed a clothes change and he figured his mom would have a heart attack if he was missing from his bed again." He laughed at a joke I didn't get.

I nodded. "Okay…"

He looked back at me and sighed heavily. "So, what are we going to do today? Just hang out here? Or do you wish to go out?"

"Maybe we could just hang out here? Or at your house…whichever is good for you."

I looked away before I heard the low growl from the back of his throat that I had been expecting.

"Please?" I turned on my puppy dog look. I hadn't used it in years and I was sure that it was rusty, but it was worth a try.

It worked.

"Let me make a call," he said as he got up and went to the window.

I rejoiced inwardly and got up to get myself ready. I was getting to meet the family. Joy to the world.


End file.
